Thyroid Flashcards
What are follicles lined by?
cuboidal to low columnar follicular cells
What do parafollicular or C cells secrete? What origin ar they?
calcitonin-promotes absorption of calcium by the skeletal system and inhibits reabsorption of bone
Neural crest origin
What is the mechanism of action and function of thyroid hormones?
- Stimulation of protein synthesis
- Up regulation of carbohydrates and lipid catabolism
- Increase in basal metabolic rate
- critical role in the development of brain in fetuses and neonates
Thyrotoxicosis
Hyper metabolic state due to increased circulating levels of thyroid hormones (T4 and T3)
-most commonly caused by hyper functioning of the thyroid gland but can be not associated with hyperthyroidism
Clinical manifestations of hyperthyroidism/ thyrotoxicosis
Excess thyroid hormone and over activity of sympathetic nervous system
- Increased BMR-soft warm flushed skin
- Heat intolerance and excess sweating
- Weight loss despite increased appetite
- Cardiovascular-increased CO, tachy, palpitaitons, cardiomegaly, arrhythmias especially atrial fibrillation is common in the elderly
- Development of low output heart failure
- Neuromuscular-nervousness, emotional lability, insomnia, muscular weakness, fine tremor of the hands
- proximal muscle weakness and decreased muscle mass
- Gastrointestinal: hypermotility, malabsorption
- Wide staring gaze and lid lag
- Thyroid ophthalmopathy (proptosis) only associated with graves
- Stimulates bone resorption and osteoporosis
- THyroid storm-medical emergency
Diagnosis of hyperthyroidism
TSH levels-usually decreased-Most sensitive
Free T4-usually increased
How do you exclude secondary or pituitary associated hyperthyroidism?
TRH stimulation test
- inject TRH
- if normal rise in TSH then it is not secondary hyperthyroidism
What radioactive iodine uptake results indicate Graves, toxic adenoma, or thyroiditis?
graves: diffuse uptake
toxic adenoma: localized
thyroiditis: reduced uptake
What is the most common cause of hypothyroidism?
primary hypothyroidism
-can be accompanied by enlargement of the gland(goiter)
What is the most common worldwide congenital hypothyroidism due to?
iodine deficiency
Cretinism
Hypothyroidism in infants or early childhood
- secondary to iodine deficiency or rarely from inborn errors in metabolism
- impaired development of skeletal muscles and CNS: severity varies to timing of deficiency
- if maternal thyroid hormone deficiency before development of fetal thyroid, mental retardation is sever
- mental retardation, short stature, coarse facial features
Hypothyroidism Myxedema
Adult hypothyroidism
Gradual slowing of mental and physical activity
-fatigue, lethargy, apathy, slowed speech
-cold intolerance and reduced sweating
-overweight and constipation
-periorbital edema, thick coarse skin, enlarged tongue (deposition of glycosaminoglycans)
-reduced cardiac output causes shortness of breath and decreased exercise capacity
-promotes an atherogenic profile (increased cholesterol)-adverse cardiovascular mortalities
What lab values do you find in hypothyroidism?
Decreased T4
TSH levels-most sensitive for hypothyroidism
Primary-Increased TSH
Secondary-Decreased/normal TSH
Thyroiditis
types with Pain and No pain
- Inflammation with pain, sometimes severe
- Infectious thyroiditis
- subacute granulomatous thyroiditis (De quervain thyroiditis) - Relatively little pain
- Subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis
- Riedel’s thyroiditis
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Hashimoto Thyroiditis
most common hypothyroidism in non-iodine deficient areas
- autoimmune destruction of thyroid gland
- 45-65
- major cause of non endemic goiter in pediatric age group
- strong genetic component
What are the three mechanisms of breakdown in self tolerance and induction of thyroid autoimmunity in Hash?
- T cell mediated cytotoxicity-CD8
- Thyrocyte injury-CD4-INF gamma-macrophages
- Antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity
What antibodies are seen in hashimoto thyroiditis?
- Thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase (TPO)!!!
- TSH receptor
- Iodine receptor